FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been a ubiquitous sight at the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far, popping up across all three host countries throughout the tournament, from the opening match to the final.
Infantino's original proposal was to attend two games per day as often as possible, clocking up some serious air miles aboard his private jet in the process.
As it transpires, the head of world football's governing body hasn't quite managed to cover as much ground as he initially intended, though he has still popped up all over Canada, Mexico and the United States during World Cup to take in plenty of group games, knockout matches and much else besides.
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Over the course of the tournament we tracked Infantino on his epic 2026 World Cup voyage -- or, as his mission statement on social media puts it: "Living football, uniting the world through football and making football truly global."
Infantino was already in the U.S. in the week ahead of the tournament kicking off, lending a helping hand by painting the lines on the pitch of the New York/New Jersey stadium where the final will take place on July 19. He then began his World Cup odyssey in earnest at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where the opening ceremony happened on June 11.
Total distance travelled during 2026 World Cup: 67,507 miles
All distances measured as the crow flies between stadiums/locations
Group stage | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final
June 11
GROUP STAGE
Mexico vs. South Africa, Mexico City Stadium
Naturally, FIFA's head honcho was in attendance at the Azteca as co-hosts Mexico kicked off the 2026 World in style with a fine victory over South Africa.
South Korea vs. Czechia, Guadalajara Stadium (295 miles)
Infantino made the short hop across Mexico to Guadalajara to watch South Korea's 2-1 win over Czechia before commending the host city and the 45,000 fans in attendance for making the experience so memorable.
June 12
United States vs. Paraguay, Los Angeles Stadium (329 miles)
The USMNT's World Cup opener was an unmissable occasion for the FIFA president, who left Guadalajara and flew over the border into Los Angeles in time to watch the co-hosts thrash Paraguay. As if that weren't enough, he also had the honor of meeting singer Justin Bieber.
June 13
Qatar vs. Switzerland, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (313 miles)
Infantino then set out on a 505 km journey along the California coast to San Francisco to watch Qatar face off against Switzerland the following day -- once again making sure to highlight the attendance figures amid widespread criticism that many World Cup games were not quite the sellouts FIFA would like them to be.
Australia vs. Türkiye, BC Place Vancouver (822 miles)
After watching the 1-1 draw between Qatar and Switzerland in San Francisco, Infantino jetted off to northwest Canada to attend the Group D tie between Australia and Türkiye -- the last of the four World Cup games to take place on that day.
June 14
FIFA Executive Football Summit 2026, Miami (2,805 miles)
On the day that Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 and Germany drubbed Curaçao 7-1, Infantino did not attend a World Cup game and instead flew thousands of miles from Vancouver to Miami to address FIFA members at the Executive Football Summit 2026, held at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach hotel.
June 15
Belgium vs. Egypt, Seattle Stadium (2,733 miles)
The FIFA president was back in World Cup mode the following day after a long-haul trip from coast to coast saw him arrive in Seattle in time to watch Belgium and Egypt in action. He also managed to squeeze in a meet-and-greet with a group of Seattle Mariners and Seahawks players before the game.
Iran vs. New Zealand, Los Angeles Stadium (961 miles)
Infantino then took in a second game of the day, returning to Los Angeles to watch the entertaining 2-2 draw between Iran and New Zealand. The FIFA president also made a special point of addressing the Iran national team after the hardships that enveloped its journey to the World Cup.
June 16
Argentina vs. Algeria, Kansas City Stadium (1,366 miles)
Another cross-country flight came the following day as Infantino travelled from Los Angeles to Kansas City to watch Lionel Messi and Argentina begin their trophy defense against Algeria in Missouri -- and in front of yet another full house!
June 17
Portugal vs. Congo DR, Houston Stadium (646 miles)
Infantino donned his finest Stetson hat on arrival in Houston to watch Portugal labor to a 1-1 draw against Congo DR, who were appearing at their first World Cup in over 50 years.
June 18
Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, Mexico City Stadium (757 miles)
A hop back over the border to Mexico City kicked off a mammoth day of travel for Infantino, which started with a return to the Azteca to watch Uzbekistan take on Colombia while sandwiched between the two nations' respective football federation presidents, Ramón Jesurún and Ravshan Irmatov.
Canada vs. Qatar, BC Place Vancouver (2,458 miles)
Infantino then flew the length of North America to attend the first match in the second round of group fixtures between Canada and Qatar in Vancouver, which produced six goals and two red cards. Infantino also extended his best wishes to Canada midfielder Ismaël Koné, who suffered a broken leg during the second half.
June 19
Scotland vs. Morocco, Boston Stadium (4,042 miles)
Infantino kicked off the second week of the World Cup with his longest trip to date, traveling over 4,000 miles from the northwest of Canada to Boston on the east coast of the United States to watch Scotland lose 1-0 to Morocco in Group C.
Brazil vs. Haiti, Philadelphia Stadium (253 miles)
Infantino was then able to squeeze in a second game thanks to a relatively short-haul jaunt down to Philadelphia to watch Brazil take on Haiti, though not before he enjoyed a quick but incredibly star-studded game of rondo with a group of Seleção legends.
June 20
Netherlands vs. Sweden, Houston Stadium (1,349 miles)
The following day saw the FIFA president jet off to Texas to watch Netherlands dismantle Sweden in Group F. He also had the honor of meeting NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, who served as commander and pilot, respectively, of the recent Artemis II lunar mission.
Tunisia vs. Japan, Monterrey Stadium (405 miles)
Infantino could hardly miss the other group F tie of the day between Tunisia and Japan, the landmark 1,000th match in World Cup history. Having made it over the Mexican border to Monterrey in time, he was able to watch as the Blue Samurai won by four goals to zip.
June 21
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, Atlanta Stadium (1,092 miles)
Without pausing for breath, Infantino was flying back to the United States in order to attend the Group H encounter between Spain and Saudi Arabia. The FIFA president was treated to another 4-0 win as, with Lamine Yamal back in the starting XI, La Roja cantered to victory.
Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, Miami Stadium (591 miles)
Infantino then traipsed back over to Florida's panhandle to see Uruguay square off against one of the 2026 World Cup's most endearing underdogs, Cape Verde.
The FIFA president met with the mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha before kickoff, formally welcoming Ana Candida Evora to the tournament. Evora had missed Vozinha's opening game heroics against Spain after failing to get a visa but the process was expedited for her to attend his second game, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
June 22
France vs. Iraq, Philadelphia Stadium (1,007 miles)
Infantino nipped back to Philadelphia for the second time in three days to watch France in action against Iraq. The game had to be temporarily paused in the second half when a gigantic rainstorm brought about a two-hour delay to proceedings.
With time to kill, the FIFA president did the rounds at the stadium, first meeting a couple of Les Bleus' World Cup icons in Christian Karembeu and Youri Djorkaeff before also having a face-to-face with renowned 78-year-old France superfan Clement Tomaszewsk, who traveled to the States in order to watch his country play at a 10th World Cup.
Norway vs. Senegal, New York/New Jersey Stadium (85 miles)
After that weather delay, Infantino was still able to make the quick sprint from Philly to New Jersey in time to catch the end of the game between Norway and Senegal, just as Ismaïla Sarr scored his second goal in stoppage time -- a late consolation strike in what proved to be a 3-2 win for the Scandinavians.
New York/New Jersey Stadium to Fox Studios, New York City (6 miles)
He then rushed from the stadium and into midtown Manhattan to make an appearance on the "Fox & Friends" show.
June 23
England vs. Ghana, Boston Stadium (168 miles)
The following day saw a relatively manageable travel schedule begin with a trek to the Boston Stadium in Foxborough to watch England drag their way to a dull goalless draw against the unshakeable low block of Ghana. Infantino subsequently described the game as "fantastic, feisty and passionate."
Panama vs Croatia, Toronto Stadium (426 miles)
He then moved on, across the Canadian border to Toronto, where a single goal from Ante Budimir was enough to settle the tie in Croatia's favor. Infantino also took the chance to congratulate World Cup stalwart Luka Modric on making his 200th appearance for his national team.
June 24
Scotland vs. Brazil, Miami Stadium (1,222 miles)
Infantino was reunited with his Brazilian pals in Miami, where he watched Carlo Ancelotti's side beat Scotland in the company of no fewer than six World Cup winners: Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Kaká, Bebeto, Rivaldo and Ronaldo.
June 25
Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, Philadelphia Stadium (664 miles)
Infantino flew into Philadelphia to bid farewell to Curacao, the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup but who lit up the 2026 group stages regardless. Unfortunately, two goals from Nicolas Pépé was enough to bring the Blue Waves' participation to an end.
June 26
Egypt vs Iran, Seattle Stadium (2,379 miles)
Bidding farewell to Jordan, Dallas Stadium (1,669 miles)
Infantino cleared his schedule on June 26, presumably to give himself enough time to make the extra long-haul trip from coast to coast in order to attend Egypt's 1-1 against Iran in Seattle the following day.
Rather than taking in a second match, the FIFA president flew to Dallas to say a special farewell to the Jordan squad ahead of their final game against Argentina after they were eliminated from the tournament with a group game to spare.
June 27
Colombia vs. Portugal, Miami Stadium (1,115 miles)
June 28
ROUND OF 32
South Africa vs. Canada, Los Angeles Stadium (2,335 miles)
Infantino returned to Miami once again to watch the entertaining but ultimately goalless draw between Colombia and Portugal, before departing for the west coast in order to be present at the first knockout game of the 2026 World Cup, namely Canada's dramatic late victory over South Africa in Los Angeles.
June 29
Brazil vs. Japan, Houston Stadium (1,375 miles)
Netherlands vs. Morocco, Monterrey Stadium (408 miles)
The round-of-32 action continued in Houston, where Infantino was reunited with the same group of Brazilian World Cup legends he had previously frolicked with earlier in the tournament. He then flew south of the border to Mexico in order to witness Morocco oust the Netherlands on penalties.
June 30
Ivory Coast vs. Norway, Dallas Stadium (523 miles)
Mexico vs. Ecuador, Mexico City Stadium (942 miles)
Infantino once again managed to squeeze in two knockout games on the same day beginning with Erling Haaland's dramatic 86th-minute winner for Norway against the Ivory Coast. The FIFA president then zig-zagged back to Mexico to watch the co-hosts go roaring into the round of 16 with a resounding victory over Ecuador.
July 1
England vs. Congo DR, Atlanta Stadium (1,348 miles)
United States vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (2,112 miles)
Infantino took his place in the executive seats to watch Harry Kane almost single-handedly drag England to a comeback victory over DR Congo in Atlanta before embarking on another extended journey across North America to watch the co-hosts advance to the round of 16 with an impressive 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in San Francisco.
July 2
Spain vs. Austria, Los Angeles Stadium (314 miles)
Switzerland vs. Algeria, Vancouver Stadium (1,081 miles)
Infantino managed to squeeze in two round-of-32 ties in the space of a day by moseying down California's coast to watch Spain beat Austria in the company of Spanish pop star Rosalía. He then jetted back up to Vancouver in time to witness Switzerland muster their first World Cup knockout stage victory since 1938 by vanquishing Algeria.
July 3
Argentina vs. Cape Verde, Miami Stadium (2,788 miles)
The FIFA president then made the longest possible journey between two 2026 World Cup host cities to watch Argentina get put through the ringer by World Cup upstarts Cape Verde, who pushed the defending champions into extra time having gone behind and dragged themselves back level twice in what proved to be one of the most memorable clashes of the tournament.
July 4
ROUND OF 16
Canada vs. Morocco, Houston Stadium (961 miles)
Infantino was visible in the crowd as the Round of 16 kicked off in Houston, with Canada becoming the first World Cup co-host to get bundled out of the tournament as Morocco ran rampant.
July 5
Mexico vs. England, Mexico City Stadium (751 miles)
The following day, Infantino was back in Mexico City to watch another World Cup co-host get eliminated as El Tri ended up on the losing side in a pulsating five-goal thriller against England.
July 6
United States vs. Belgium, Seattle Stadium (2,351 miles)
Infantino made an appearance in Seattle where he watched the U.S. suffer the same fate as their fellow co-hosts Mexico and Canada after getting bundled out of the round of 16 despite the late availability of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun after the ban for his red card vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina was suspended.
July 7
Switzerland vs. Colombia, Vancouver Stadium (122 miles)
The final round-of-16 game saw Infantino nip just around the corner from Seattle into Canada, though he may have wished he hadn't bothered as it proved to be one of the most turgid ties of the 2026 World Cup. Switzerland doggedly outlasted Colombia to win on penalties after 120 minutes of goalless graft.
July 8
Rest day
After attending half of the eight round-of-16 ties in the space of four days, Infantino gave himself a well-earned day off while putting the finishing touches to the World Cup 2026 final halftime show.
July 9
QUARTERFINALS
New York/New Jersey Stadium (2,436 miles)
France vs. Morocco, Boston Stadium (170 miles)
After a stop-off in New Jersey to help show off the new edition of the Adidas Trionda match ball to be used the final four matches of the tournament, Infantino made it to Massachusetts in time to watch the first quarterfinal between France and Morocco. He also managed to squeeze in a quick natter with Shakira in the VIP suite, who herself has covered a considerable amount of ground while watching several games at the tournament.
July 11
England vs. Norway, Miami Stadium (1,223 miles)
After deciding against making the cross-country round trip to Los Angeles for Belgium's quarterfinal against Spain the previous day, Infantino instead made his way down the East Coast to Miami to watch England take on Norway. He was then left without adequate time to hop over to Kansas City to watch Argentina play Switzerland in Kansas City, which kicked off just a few hours later.
July 13
Lusail Palace, Doha (7,647 miles)
With no World Cup games scheduled for July 12 or July 13, Infantino took the opportunity to fly out from Miami to Doha in Qatar in order to offer his condolences in person to the Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, following the death of his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
July 14
SEMIFINALS
France vs, Spain, Dallas Stadium (7,919 miles)
Racking up over 15,000 air miles in the space of 24 hours, Infantino made the long return journey from the Persian Gulf to attend the huge semifinal between France and Spain in Dallas. He watched the European champions put on a masterclass in the company of a host of FIFA legends, including Marco Materazzi, Sergio Ramos, Alessandro Del Piero, Xavi, Carles Puyol, Roberto Carlos and Roberto Baggio.
July 15
England vs. Argentina, Atlanta Stadium (739 miles)
After making the relatively short jaunt from Dallas to Atlanta, Infantino was in the stadium to watch the nerve-shredding clash between Argentina and England as Lionel Messi once again filed an inspirational performance to send the Albiceleste into their second straight World Cup final. The FIFA president also met Spike Lee, which is a sentence you don't write every day.
July 16
Rest day
New York (760 miles)
With two days to fill without matches, Infantino jetted to New York to catch the premiere of "The Wolf of Winter," a new documentary about tennis great Novak Djokovic.
July 17
Rest day
The final day of the tournament without any games was anything but a rest day for Infantino, despite the fact that he remained in New York. The FIFA president attended the Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center on Manhattan's west side before hopping to the other side of the island to deliver a keynote speech at the United Nations for the youth affairs initiative "One World, One Game, One Goal: Football as a Catalyst for Youth Mental Health and Well-Being."
He then headed up to Midtown to stand onstage alongside U.S. President Donald Trump at a FIFA reception in Trump Tower, before making the short trip down Fifth Avenue to the Rockefeller Center to attend a FIFA Legends match, which took place in the shadow of a giant LEGO reproduction of the World Cup trophy.
July 18
Bronze final
France vs. England, Miami Stadium
Addressing representatives of FIFA's 211 member associations, Infantino said he thought revenues for the 2023-26 cycle "can top the $15 billion mark," and he later thanked the "more than 200" associations that he said have already pledged their support for his reelection next year.
Unable to make the 2,500-mile round-trip to Miami to watch the 10-goal thriller between the two losing semifinalists due to weather conditions keeping planes grounded, Infantino instead headed to New Jersey for a look around the World Cup final venue.
July 19
Final
Spain vs. Argentina, New York/New Jersey Stadium
With all of the hard work done, and having travelled the equivalent of more than 2½ times around the circumference of the Earth, all that was left for Infantino to do was enjoy his prematch espresso, don his best suit and bring the World Cup trophy with him to the final.